How the JSON/XML RESTful API Works

Need to display a map on your site or mobile application showing registered sex offenders? Need to run searches for offenders?
• We have a simple URL based search method to our api with a JSON/XML response format that is useful for connecting your application to our data.

Simple JSON Restful API
Below are examples types of calls you can make:

*** Note: All transactions may use https (SSL) when connectiong to our servers.

Key Terms

Key

Your unique API key. This key will be provided when purchasing API services or contacting us at sales@familywatchdog.us.

Lite

Accepts 0 or 1. Setting this flag to 1 (default), provides only the basic offender information. This brings back less information allowing for a faster response due the data size and call being smaller. This used when not all information would be displayed to the end user, such as a map. Seeting this to 0, will bring back all offender information including alias(es), charge(s), other address(es) and markings.

Nicknames

Accepts 0 or 1. Setting this flag to 1 (default), searches for possible nicknames as first name along with the given first name.

Accepts 0 or 1. Used to add wild card searches to the end of last name and first name on the searches. Such as Jo=>John,Joe, etc.

Ver

Accepts 1.0, 1.1 or 1,2. No version flag set provides you with the latest verion.

Versions:
1.0 - Initial version
1.1 - Added Birth Dates to the results for states that contain multiple date of births for an offender.
1.2 - Added convictiontype to the result set of each offender. See conviction types below.

Callback

Accepts any string that will be returned in a response. This allows for the ability to tie a request with a response in an asynchronous environment.

Search Criteria

The search criteria used to search our database and are non-case sensitive.
• lname Last name of the person being searched
• fname First name of the person being searched
• dob Date of birth of the person being searched. We suggest the using the format MM/DD/YYYY.
• minlat, minlong, maxlat, maxlong The coordinates of the map or region being displayed. Typically minlat, minlong are the left top coordinates and maxlat, max long are the bottom right.

Used to set a color based off the type of crime the offender comitted.
• 5 = Offense Against Children
• 4 = Rape
• 3 = Sexual Battery
• 1 & 2 = Other Offense

Image URL

An photo url is passed back in the result. Example:
http://photos.familywatchdog.us/OffenderPhoto/Offenderphoto.aspx?ID=XXXXX&width=YYY
• XXXXX = the offenderID passed back forthe offender
• YYY = (optional) defines the width of the photo to passed back